Israel Flag

Israel's flag has a white field with two horizontal blue stripes (near the top and bottom edges) and a blue Star of David (Magen David) centred between them. The stripe pattern is based on the traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit).

The Star of David has been a symbol of Jewish identity since the 17th century and became the emblem of the Zionist movement in the late 19th century. The two-triangle hexagram represents the shield of King David.

The design was proposed by the First Zionist Congress in 1897, based on designs by David Wolffsohn. It was inspired by the colours and stripes of the tallit, combined with the Magen David symbol already associated with Zionism.

Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948 and adopted the flag the same year. The blue shade has been officially specified as Pantone 286 C since a 2004 government decision, ending decades of slight colour variation.